Armor (Basic)
Basic Armor are simple, primitive forms of personal protection. The table on the right list armor as seen in the Mutant Future rulebook. Its inclusion is for reference. The notes and tables below are house-rule items. The charts note two types of Armor Class: normal descending AC; and an optional ascending AC, with a base of AC 10 (roll equal or more to hit, with each 'THAC0' shift adding a +1 to hit). Body Armor Body armor comes in a wide variety of forms, and built from a wide variety of materials. They range from crude assemblies of animal skins and scrap, to well-crafted suits by skilled metalworkers. Most armor would be made from materials that are readily available, inculcating old scrap, and even the hide of some exotic mutant with a physical mutation that can enhance the shield in some way (like fire-proof skin or a silvery skin that can deflect laser beams). Unless the armor was made form advanced materials (like Duralloy), they are going to offer little or no protection against advanced weaponry. Likewise, primitive armor (like hide and plant fiber) would offer little or no protection against modern firearms. Unarmored: This is normal clothing, bare skin, or a thin layer of natural fur (if any). This is the basic level of defense for a human without any armor, and with average Dexterity. The Natural Armor mutation can improve the base score. Skins/Furs: This is a simple patchwork and layering of animal skins for a small degree of defense. They are commonly used by primitive people who cannot craft any better. Even by primitive standards, this is considered a cheap and lazy form of protection. In could weather, they will keep you warm, but in warm weather, they will make you overheat. Despite being light weight, it is stiff and hard to move in. A variation of this is Padded Armor, which is made-up of quilted layers of cloth. Like skins and furs, it gets hot quickly and becomes foul with sweat, grime and pests. Plant Fiber Armor: This armor is make from thick weaving of plant fibers that is also used for making rope - hemp, linen, cotton, coir, jute, straw, sisal, etc. They are commonly used by primitive people who have the time to weave whole suits like this, but lack the tools and workshops to make anything better. Like skins and furs, they can become stuffy and grimy if the weaving is made too tight, although the looseness around the joints provides better ventilation. Leather Armor: This armor is made of cured or boiled hide. Leather armor is made by people who have the time and materials needed to possess animal skins into hard leather. This is considered advanced by primitive fur-armor users, and basic by more civilized metal-armor users. Brigandine Armor: This is a catch-all for armor known as Studded Leather, Scale Mail, Splint Mail, Ring Mail, etc. This class of armor is made of metal plates or strips tied to a leather or fabric backing, or sandwiched between two layers of leather or fabric. In most cases, the metal would be scrap metal found in old ruins. This armor is usually combined with a simple metal skull-cap. Chainmail Armor: This armor is made of a flexible sheet of tiny interlocking metal rings, with a thick wool tunic to prevent chafing. The possess of making the chain-links are simple, but the possess to link the chains are time consuming. When properly tailored, the weight is evenly distributed, so the suit does not feel all that heavy. This suit usually covers much of the body, and includes a mail hood. This armors serves as the bases for platemail armor. Piecemeal Armor: This is a crude attempt at crafting metal armor. Like brigandine, this is metal scrap tied to a leather or fabric backing, but with additional platting around the torso for extra protection. In some cases, the armor could be a series of steel nuts bound by metal wire like heavy form of chainmail. Unlike platemail armor, the weight of the suit is unevenly distributed and becomes uncomfortable after awhile. This armor is usually combined with a simple metal helmet. A variation of this is Plated Mail Armor (including Banded Mail, Mirror Armor, etc.), which is built with metal plates or strips mounted on chainmail armor. This class is better made, and feels a little more comfortable then normal piecemeal armor, but not as much as chainmail or platemail armor. Platemail Armor: This is a full-body suit of chainmail with an outer layer of metal plates and a visored helmet. The suit is heavy, but if properly tailored, leather straps evenly distribute the weight across the wearer body, making it feel lighter. The articulation of the plates makes the suit remarkably flexible in battle. Shields Shields come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, styles and materials. They range form the primitive shields of wicker or stretched hide, to tightly-placed wooden beams reinforced with cured leather and metal. Like body armor, most shields would be made from materials that are readily available, with some use of exotic materials by mutant parts, and are vulnerable to more advanced technology. A popular house-rule going around the old-school D&D gaming community (see link, below) allows characters to sacrifice their shield to absorb all the damage form a single strike. The use and application of this rule would be at the whim of the Mutant Lord. Buckler: This is a small shield the size of a hubcap. If offers no protection against missile weapons, but it allows a skilled fighter to block melee attacks with better finesse then a normal shield. In place of a normal attack, a buckler can delver a punch doing 1d4 damage. Shield: This is the most common type of shield, as they can block hit most form of attacks. In place of a normal attack, a shield can delver a knock doing 1d6 damage. Tower Shield: This is a large shield about the size of its user. Do to their size and shape, some people call them "doors" or even "ramps" by those who like to knock them down. In melee, it works like a normal shield, but against missile weapons, it provides great cover. Unless the opponent is supported by an ally an his back, a tower shield can delver a slam that knocks the opponent to the ground, doing 1d4 damage. Other Beast Barding: This is protective covering horses or any other riding beast. Links * [http://trollsmyth.blogspot.com/2008/05/shields-shall-be-splintered.html Shields Shall be Splintered!] - A simple house-rule for shields. Category:Basic Technology Category:Armor